Romanian Opposition’s No-Confidence Motion To Be Read Wednesday, Voted Next Tuesday

The two chambers' standing offices met Tuesday to decide the schedule of the no-confidence motion submitted Monday by Romania's opposition social democrats.

The Parliament held a plenary assembly Monday, during which Prime Minister Emil Boc sought a confidence vote on behalf of the Government for the two laws which make up the country's austerity plan.

Romania's Constitution states that the Government is dismissed if the majority of lawmakers vote in favor of a no-confidence motion. The plenary assembly of Parliament can withdraw a confidence vote previously granted to the Government through approving a no-confidence motion.

Passing the no-confidence motion would require the favorable vote of 236 out of 471 lawmakers. Romania's ruling liberal democrats have 178 senators and deputies, while fellow coalition members, the minority Hungarians, have 31 lawmaker seats. Opposition social democrats, conservatives and liberals hold a total of 212 seats in Parliament.

The leaders of Romania's new leftist party UNPR and Hungarian minority party UDMR have announced their party members will vote against the no-confidence motion.

The leader of liberal democrat deputies, Mircea Toader, said Tuesday that his fellow party members will fully support the current Government. However, according to Chamber of Deputies speaker Roberta Anastase, liberal democrat lawmakers should not attend the vote, so that they don't cast their ballot in favor of the motion.

Three liberal democrat lawmakers, senator Georgica Severin and deputies Daniel Oajdea and Clement Negrut, have publicly expressed dissatisfaction that their amendments to the austerity plan were not approved by the Government.

Social democrat deputy leader Viorel Hrebenciuc said Tuesday the no-confidence motion stands a 65%-70% to pass.

The 17-page no-confidence motion, titled "Stop the Social Genocide!", was signed by 120 social democrat lawmakers. The text criticizes the Government's austerity plan and the "clientelism" of the current ruling coalition.

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc on Monday asked lawmakers' confidence vote for the country's austerity plan and warned that Romania might go into payment default unless it cuts budget spending. The two austerity laws, which cut public sector wages, pensions and social welfare benefits, should help the recession-hit country bring its economy on track and convince the International Monetary Fund, which is leading a EUR20 billion rescue package agreed last year, to disburse further installments of the loan.

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